Red Sox hoping for best heading west

How’s this for a tough break? Josh Beckett is hurting, pushed back to Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Angels.

Woe unto the Red Sox. They’ll have to settle on Jon Lester to open up Game 1 Wednesday in Anaheim.

Lester Monday was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for September, having compiled a 4-1 record and 2.14 ERA. He finished the regular season at 16-6, 3.21, threw a no-hitter and established himself as the ace of the Boston staff.

Tough break for the Sox, who’ll then have to settle for Daisuke Matsuzaka to start Game 2. Matsuzaka was 18-3, 2.90 during the regular season.

Seriously, those are two areas where the Red Sox should have no serious worries, no more than the Angels should when they throw 12-5 John Lackey, 16-7 Ervin Santana or 17-7 Joe Saunders in Games 1 through 3. After that, though, are the Red Sox in over their heads?

The Angels finished the season with a majors-best 100 wins, five more than the Red Sox.

One might argue the Angels were playing in the AL West, which is to the AL East what Punky Brewster is to Jessica Alba, but the Angels also have the toughest reliever in the game, Frankie Rodriguez, who compiled a record 62 saves. They added Mark Teixeira and Torii Hunter to a team that already had speed and now has power. They’re solid and mostly healthy.

In many ways, the roles have reversed. The Sox have swept the Angels in two straight series, and last season did so partially because the Angels were banged up. The Angels pretty much lost the real Garret Anderson, for instance, because he was suffering with an eye infection. Anderson has been healthy this season. The Angels beat the Red Sox in eight of nine meetings.

What the Sox are dealing with this season goes far beyond eye infections. They have some real issues, starting with Beckett, who strained his right oblique during a side session Friday. The Sox are trying to assure their fans that Beckett, 12-10, 4.03 during the regular season, should be ready to go, but who knows? Manager Terry Francona said he won’t until Beckett throws again Thursday.

“I feel pretty good,” said Lowell, last year’s World Series MVP. “It’s not really bothering me to swing, so I think today was more of just getting into the flow of trying to get ready for the game. I think tomorrow is going to be a big day for me because I’m going to take ground balls and see how that goes. I think that will give me a lot more information.

“It depends on how tomorrow goes. I’d definitely like to (play Game 1). I’ve got to see how I’m moving defensively, but I’m anticipating something good.”

Drew left the clubhouse without speaking to the media Monday but looked fluid in the batting cage, according to Francona. Meanwhile, the biggest challenge could be Beckett, who has a 6-2, 1.73 career playoff record, including 4-0 last season.

“There’s no getting around what Beckett has done in post-season play,” Francona said.

There’s also no getting around what Lester has done, including capturing the victory in the World Series-clinching game in Colorado last October.

“We have an extreme amount of confidence in Lester,” Jason Varitek said. “Hopefully we have Josh ready for Game 3.”

“I think we’re all looking forward to Jon Lester getting his time,” the manager added. “He’s been so good the last four months of the year. This is an exciting time. Again, we love what Beckett can do and we respect what Beckett can do. We’re starting to get that feeling about Lester.”